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Tree board endorses SFI scope of work to audit Lake Forest Park urban-forest policies
Summary
The Lake Forest Park Tree Board voted to endorse a scope of work for a Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) reimbursement grant that would audit the city’s urban-forest management and produce a gap analysis and action plan; the board clarified the grant will fund an audit and planning steps, not SFI certification.
The Lake Forest Park Tree Board on Thursday endorsed a scope of work for a Sustainable Forestry Initiative reimbursement grant that would fund an audit and a planning process intended to update the city’s community forest management work.
The endorsement, made by Olmstead and seconded from the floor, directs staff to proceed with a final draft grant agreement for city council consideration. The board’s action follows a months-long review of a draft agreement and a two-page scope of work that staff says will be attached as Exhibit A to the SFI contract.
Board members and staff said the work is intended to produce a gap analysis and an action plan tied to SFI’s objectives, and to support an updated urban forest management plan. Sam Kult, the city’s new urban forest planner, laid out five planned steps in the scope: compile existing city documents, run a self-assessment against SFI objectives, identify gaps and benchmarks, engage stakeholders, and produce an action plan and final report.
Mark Hoffman, the city’s community development director, told the board the city and SFI had agreed that the project would not pursue formal SFI certification. “We are not going towards certification,” Hoffman said, describing the work as an audit and planning process rather than a certification effort.
Board members discussed funding and staffing: the grant request as described to the board totals roughly $70,000, combining a contractor budget and a portion of staff time. Hoffman and others said SFI has been flexible in adjusting the award level; the agreement will be structured as a reimbursement contract and includes federal reporting and termination provisions in case funding changes. Board members asked that the scope be clear about deliverables and roles before the agreement goes to council.
With the tree board’s endorsement, staff said they will meet with SFI’s representative to finalize a next-version draft agreement and bring it to city council for consideration, likely in two readings with a requested waiver of a third reading if council concurs.
The endorsement was recorded as a voice vote; board members approved the motion and the chair and staff will transmit the scope and the board’s endorsement to city administration for the next steps.
